Did you notice below that...

I bolded a certain player in the AAA and AA alumni report. That player skipped over AA and was promoted from Lakeland in the Florida State League to Toledo in the International League.

Ryan Ketchner of the 2002 Timber Rattlers. You may have noticed that he had a pretty good day yesterday.

Ryan Ketchner made a winner of Mike Hessman in his "managerial debut."

Ketchner threw a complete-game, six-hit shutout in pitching the Mud Hens to a 3-0 victory Monday over Columbus.

Ketchner got 24 batters to fly out with no groundouts and threw just 89 pitches.
That was his second win with the International League affiliate of the Detroit Tigers.

Since I missed it, here is the story from his first start for Toledo.

Mud Hens starter Ryan Ketchner, who was promoted to Toledo from Single-A Lakeland on Saturday, earned his first Triple-A victory. Ketchner pitched seven innings and gave up just five hits and one earned run. He also struckout four.

And here is the story on Ketchner when the Mud Hens returned home.

Most pitchers called up to Toledo from Single-A might be intimidated by a promotion to Triple-A.

But left-hander Ryan Ketchner isn't most pitchers.

"I kind of knew [a promotion] was coming," Ketchner said. "I knew a lot of guys get called up at this time of year."

Yes, Ketchner has already spent time in Triple-A before this season. But Ketchner has bigger goals than just advancing to Triple-A.

Ketchner is striving to become the first deaf player in the major leagues since former Hen Curtis Pride, an outfielder. If Ketchner reaches his goal, he'll be the first deaf pitcher in the big leagues since Luther Taylor, who last pitched for the New York Giants in 1908.

Ketchner said his focus isn't on earning a call-up to Detroit.

"My goal is to stay healthy," Ketchner said. "If I stay healthy, I know I can pitch well enough to earn an opportunity to pitch in the big leagues."

Plus, I just noticed that Ketchner was named the International League Pitcher of the Week.

Mud Hens LHP Ryan Ketchner was named International League pitcher of the week, the league office announced Tuesday.

Ketchner won the award based on his only two starts of the season for Toledo. Ketchner won both of those road starts, allowing just 11 hits and one earned run in 16 innings for a 0.56 ERA.

The Rattler Alumni of the Day is usually reserved for major league players. I'm making an exception today.